German Forces Seize Cargo Ship Over Suspected Russian Spy Drone Launch

German authorities seized the cargo ship Scanlark in the Kiel Canal on September 7 over suspicions that it was used to launch a Russian spy drone against German military assets.

The 75-metre, 2,000 dwt dry cargo ship was intercepted at the southern Kiel-Holtenau lock around 4 p.m., where armed special police units boarded the vessel while divers searched its hull.

Reports said a rubber police launch circled the ship during the raid. Public webcams along the canal were switched off, the observation deck was closed, and access from the shore was blocked as part of security measures.

The search lasted into the next day, and the crew, reportedly Russian nationals, were detained and not allowed to disembark.

According to prosecutors in Flensburg and Schleswig-Holstein’s criminal police, there are strong grounds to believe a drone was launched from the Scanlark on August 26.

Investigators suspect it flew over a German Navy warship to gather intelligence and record images. German media including Bild reported the aircraft may have been Russian, though officials have not confirmed this.

Kieler Nachrichten claimed that evidence found on board supported suspicions of espionage.

The Interior Ministers of Schleswig-Holstein, Sabine Sütterlin-Waack, and Lower Saxony, Daniela Behrens, said the vessel was suspected of serving as a base for drone flights targeting critical infrastructure in northern Germany.

Behrens described the action as necessary to defend against “hybrid threats and dangers to security,” while both ministers called the raid a “strong signal” of the rule of law.

German police said the operation aimed to prevent threats to maritime infrastructure and was linked to an ongoing investigation into spying, sabotage, and “security-threatening imaging.”

The Scanlark is operated by Vista Shipping Agency of Estonia, flies the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and has been under that registry since 2006. Estonian media ERR quoted the company dismissing the allegations as “stupidity” and calling the spying claims “laughable” and “nonsense.”

The ship, built 40 years ago, regularly transits the Kiel Canal. It had departed Rotterdam, with Finland listed as its next port, before being stopped.

German authorities have been on heightened alert following a surge in drone sightings near military and energy infrastructure. Official reports noted 536 suspicious drone flights in Germany in the first three months of 2025 alone.

In May, drones were spotted near a military site in Kiel, and days later, a German patrol vessel reported being shadowed by a drone. In one case, Belgian police were asked to inspect another small cargo ship suspected of similar activity.

Security analysts warned that Russia may be using older tankers and cargo vessels from its so-called “shadow fleet” not only to bypass EU and U.S. sanctions but also to launch drones for reconnaissance in the Baltic and North Seas.

Analysts told European outlets that such operations were “entirely possible,” though monitoring every ship in the region would be nearly impossible given the traffic volume.

Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project was cited saying the legal framework and division of responsibilities in Germany complicated drone responses. While drones over military sites fall under Bundeswehr responsibility, civilian infrastructure like LNG terminals is policed by local authorities. He added that if drones are launched from international waters, Germany cannot act until they enter its airspace.

Reference: shz

Source: Maritime Shipping News